Portable tool heater



May 5, 1953 A. B. STAGGS PORTABLE TOOL HEATER Filed April 28, 1950 INVENTOR W iRNEYJ Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to portable heaters, and more particularly to a portable gas-fired heater for hand tools or small implements. The heater of the present invention has been found to be particularly useful for heating branding irons, used for branding cattle, since both the heater and a supply of compressed gas may readily be transported from place to place, and quickly set up for use wherever needed.

As is well known, up to the present time it has been the custom to heat branding irons in or over a small wood fire. In certain parts of the country, however, it is frequently difficult or impossible to kindle and maintain a satis factory fire for the reason that fuel is scarce or Wholly lacking, or that the high prevailing winds hamper or prevent the utilization of such a fire, or both. Also, even when fuel is readily available and the weather is calm, the heating of branding irons in a Wood fire is time-consuming since the fire must have been burning for quite a few minutes before it is ready to serve its purpose, and since the heating of the branding irons in a wood fire takes place more slowly than if heated by a gas flame in a heater such as that of the present invention.

Obviously the heater to be described will be found useful for heating other small tools and implements, such as soldering irons, and the like.

Accordingly, it is the general object of the present invention to provide a small, lightweight, easily portable gas-fired heater for hand tools such as branding irons, and which is of simple, inexpensive and rugged construction.

More specifically, the object of the invention is the provision of a portable heater comprising a cylindrical casing closed at one end, open at the other end and having a lateral opening for insertion of the tools to be heated, and a burner which is slidable axially of the casing to adjust its position relative to the said lateral opening in order to bring the frame into optimum relation to the article to be heated.

Another object is the provision of such a heater, provided with support means for carrying the handles of the tools to be heated, and a weather guard which may be swung into position over the lateral opening when necessary,

as for example under windy or rainy conditions.

Other and further objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the description which follows, read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portable heater constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical axial section of the heater;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the open end of the heater; and

Figure 4 is a partial horizontal section on line 3-4 of Figure 2.

In order to facilitate an understanding of the invention, reference is made to the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings and detailed descriptive language is employed. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the invention is thereby intended and that various changes and alterations are contemplated such as would ordinarily occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

The portable heater to be described comprises generally an elongated cylindrical casing l8 supported on two pairs of legs H. For convenience in transporting the heater, which may easily be carried manually, each pair of legs ll comprises a piece of round bar stock bent into the shape of an inverted U, the center portion of which is rotatably supported in sleeve [2 which is welded or otherwise secured to the underside of the casing iii. Conveniently, a stop member [3 is welded or otherwise secured lengthwise of each sleeve l2 with its ends proiecting somewhat beyond the ends of the sleeve, so as to engage and prevent further outward movement of the legs II when they are swung to the position illustrated in Figure 1. Each pair of legs may, of course, be swung inwardly into substantial parallelism with the axis of the casing H], for compactness in transport.

An elongated rectangular opening it is provided in the wall of the casing ll] adjacent its closed. end and, preferably, an elongated shelf member I5 is horizontally disposed at the lower edge of the opening 14 to assist in supporting the tools to be heated. The shelf 15 may be welded or otherwise suitably secured to the casing l 0. Spaced outwardly from, and generally paralleling, the outer edges of 'the shelf I5 is a support member or rail l6 which, like the legs H, may conveniently be made of round bar stock bent generally into U-shape and having its ends welded or otherwise suitably secured to the outer surface of the wall of the casing liiat points adjacent the lower corners of the opening M. The rail I6 is provided for the purpose of supporting the handles or hand-grip portions of the tools to be heated, and together with the shelf [5, serves to support tools in such position that their inner or working ends will be maintained in correct position within the casing 10 for optimum efliciency in heating. Stop members or studs l1 secured near the respective ends of the longitudinal reach of the rail l6 serve to prevent the handles of the branding irons or other tools from being dislodged accidentally from thera-il. I

A- weather guard 18 (Figure 3) of sheet metal 01' the like, is welded or otherwise fastened on an axle I9 mounted in suitable bearings, such as apertured lugs 20 disposed above and beyond the upper corners of the opening I 4, and a stop member 2| for the weather guard is provided centrally of the upper edge of said opening.- As seen in Figure 3, the weather guard I8 is transversely curved, the radius of curvature being approximately equal to the radius of the cylindrical casing l 0,-so that the guard l8 will lie closely against the outer surface of the casing when it is not in use. The operative position of the guard I8 is illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 3-.

An inner tubular member 22 is supported centrally of the casing [0, for example by means of a transverse annular partition 23 fixed within the casing at a point :between its open end and the lateral opening M. A pair of longitudinally extending guide rods 24 are welded or otherwise suitably secured to or adjacent the respective sides of the inner tubular member 22 and extend parallel to the walls of the casing 10 and to and beyond the open end thereof. A burner 25 is disposed axially of the inner tubular member 22 and is supportedon a cross member 25 connected between two sleeves 2'! which are slidable on the guide rods 24. Thus, the burner 25 is adjustable longitudinally of the heater as illustrated in dotted lines in FigureZ. A-fiexible fuel conduit 28 may be secured, by friction or by positive means if desired, to the outer end of the hollow burner 25. Fuel is supplied from a portable tank of compressed fuel (not shown) The necessary air for proper combustion of the fuel is admitted through the tubular member 22, and the exhaust gases will, of course, exit through the lateral opening M. The optimum position of the burner 25, lengthwise ofthe heater, willdepend upon the pressure of the'fuel, the number and disposition in the heater of the branding irons or othertools to be heated, the character and B. t. 11. rating of the fuel, and other factors, and such optimum position may readily be reached by sliding the burner lengthwise upon the guide rods 24. In Figure 4 a branding iron 29 is shown in dotted lines, with its branding portion 30 disposed inwardly of the heater and its handle portion 3| resting on the inner edge of the shelf [5 and on the rail I6. Shorter tools may rest wholly on the shelf l5.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the heater of the present invention embodies the advantages 'and'accomplishes the objects set forth in the opening paragraphs hereof,

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Pat ent is: 1A portable heater for hand tools comprising support means, an elongated tubular casing open at one end and provided with a lateral opening, said casing being secured on said support means, a transverse partition extending across the interior of said casing between saidopen end and said lateral opening, an inner tubular member secured interiorly of saidcasing and extending through said partition and within that part of the casing between said lateral opening and said open end, guide means supported adjacent said tubular member and extending in parallelism thereto to a point adjacent the open end of the casing, a burner extending Within said inner tubular member, means slidably connecting said burner and said guide means, anda flexible conduit for conducting fuel to saidburner. 1

- ALLENrB. STAGGSH References Cited in the file or this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS p, OTHER REFERENCES Metal Worker, vol. XXVIII, No.3, page 39, July 16, 1887, TH6101-M5-(trade journal). 1 

